The Carrie Awards continue! Got your popcorn? It's time to celebrate 2015 in movies!
Gurl, It's a Disclaimer:
I was a film studies major at uni, so film is an especially important awards category for me. I was overall not super impressed by the selection movies released this year. In fact, 2015 was the most cinematically disappointing year of this decade so far for me. Other than this top ten, literally only three other movies stood out to me (“Dark Places,” adapted from the Gillian Flynn novel, Disney-Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur,” and “Jurassic World”). To be fair, I didn’t have time to see all the movies I wanted to this year; three notable ones I missed were “Steve Jobs,” “The Martian,” and “Joy.” In an alternate universe, perhaps I have seen these, and they’re on this list.
Finally, I am highly aware that only four or five of these films are actually awards-worthy in the traditional sense; you won’t be seeing “Krampus” winning any Oscars this year. However, this is my awards ceremony, so I make da criteria!
Without further rant, I present ye with the Carrie Awards nominees and winner for Best Movies of the Year!
10. The Final Girls
A twist-filled comedy horror film that keeps you on your toes. It has problems, but all movies do! It’s a lot of fun and definitely worth at least a rental.
9. Krampus
Campy and chilling, Krampus surprises you by actually being good. I mean, hello, it sounds like it’d be just awful. An evil Santa Claus terrifying an average American family? Adam Scott and Toni Collette? Okay, that actually sounds amazing. Do see it!
8. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
This one’s gonna be controversial, ‘cuz it’s probably technically a bad movie. But “so bad it’s good” is a thing, right!? Well, screw that, because I loved this one! It was one of the most interesting and scary in the franchise so far. They say it’s the last one, but there’s a lot of questions left, and a lot of money to be made… I see Paranormal Activity living on as a straight-to-Blu-ray saga, if not more theatrical releases.
7. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
The Hunger Games has been one of my favorite series ever, and to see it end was bittersweet. Honey, it ain’t over until President Snow sings! It was not my favorite entry in the series, but definitely was a good ending.
6. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
The previous Mission installment Ghost Protocol is one of my favorite action films ever. The trailer for this one was pretty lame, so I wasn’t super jazzed to see it. However, you really can’t judge a film by its trailer (it’s like catfishing, I tell you), so my husband and I saw it anyway… we both loved it! It’s actually better than Ghost Protocol. Gay gasp!
5. Trainwreck
Unexpectedly emotional, and expectedly funny, Amy Schumer’s big screen debut won me, my husband and my parents over. We all loved it!
4. Spy
Sidesplittingly funny, random, and just a joyous romp, it’s the best film featuring Melissa McCarthy since her scene-stealing role in Bridesmaids. Get the popcorn, and pop this one in… it’s fabulous.
3. Cinderella
Listen, I came into Cinderella with rock bottom expectations. The trailers looked stupid to me, and I just wasn’t having it. But it’s Disney, and I’m addicted (spoiler alert, the top three of this list are all made by Disney), so I gave it a chance. Boy, am I glad I did. From beginning to end, this film enchants its audience with wonder and whimsy. It’s not only a worthy live action adaption of Disney’s original animated classic, it’s debatably better! Its cute and poignant message leave a smile on your face that lasts long after the credits roll. Yaaas!
2. Inside Out
Pixar returned to high form this year with not one, but two great films (the other being The Good Dinosaur). Gurl, Pixar turned it out! However, Inside Out was indisputably the better of the two, capturing critic and viewer’s hearts. It was like “buttah”! Emotional, fun, poppy, and funny, this perfect film will go down in history as one of Pixar’s absolute best.
and the Golden Okie for Best Movie of the Year goes to...
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
No other film captured my attention and imagination like JJ Abram’s fantastic continuation of the Star Wars saga, The Force Awakens. Including already iconic new characters (hayyyyy, BB-8!), and obviously iconic classic ones (Leia’s hair game is still on fleek!), the film more than makes up for George Lucas’ failed prequel trilogy, and the Ewok-fest that was Return of the Jedi.